ChatGPT May Soon Show Ads As OpenAI Reportedly Tests In-App Promotions

OpenAI appears to be testing ads inside ChatGPT, hinting that the company may be preparing to bring advertisements to more users soon. A few users have spotted ad-related elements within the app, and code references found in an early Android beta build suggest that OpenAI is moving ahead with integrating ads into its chatbot platform. Also Read: OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT Health with Apple Health and medical records integration

The development comes months after reports claimed that OpenAI was considering ads as an additional revenue stream. The discussion reportedly picked up after Fidji Simo, former Head of the Facebook app at Meta and a strong supporter of ad-led monetisation, joined OpenAI as CEO of Applications in August. Also Read: OpenAI says AI model escaped testing and breached Hugging Face during security test

Ads Spotted in ChatGPT App Code

Tibor Blaho, Lead Engineer at AIPRM, shared a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter) showing new ad-related strings found in ChatGPT’s Android app beta version 1.2025.329. The code strings include terms like “ad target,” “search ad,” “search ads carousel,” and “bazaar content,” which hint that OpenAI is trying out different ad formats inside the app. Also Read: Anthropic’s new AI ad is being called ‘unsettling’ online, even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reacts

These references don’t confirm how ads will eventually appear to users, but they do show that OpenAI is testing the systems needed to support them. For now, the ad-related code is only visible in the Android beta build and doesn’t show up for regular users.

First In-App Ad Spotted by a User

Another X user, Yuchen Jin, shared a screenshot showing what looks like one of the first ads appearing inside ChatGPT. The banner sat at the bottom of the screen and displayed the message: “Find a fitness class, Connect Peloton.” Jin noted that the ad had nothing to do with the ongoing conversation, suggesting that OpenAI is not testing targeted ads yet.

If OpenAI eventually moves toward targeted ads, it could raise privacy questions, since ads linked to chat topics would require more access to user data.

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Free Tier Users Likely to See Ads

OpenAI has not shared how it plans to roll out ads on ChatGPT, but early signs point to the paid plans staying ad-free. ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro users are expected to avoid ads altogether. The free tier will likely see the most ads, and ChatGPT Go – which sits between free and Plus – may also display them.